School Lunch Ideas for Picky Eaters

As parents, we are sometimes just as excited as our kids when school is out for summer. For us, that means no helping with homework, no rushing around in the morning and no packing of lunches. But as summer nears the end, we realize the tasks ahead of us as the school year begins.

Packing lunches does not need to be one of those dreaded tasks. Here are some helpful tips for putting together a delicious lunch in advance:

Try out new recipes on your kids first rather than surprising them with a *new* lunch. As a food blogger, I do this all the time.

When I find something they like, I’ll make that dish on a Sunday night. I make enough so I can pack individual lunches for a few days during the week. My kids’ lunch favorites are Banana Muffins, Hidden Zucchini Muffins, Bourbon Chicken, and Crispy Corn Flake Chicken. The Corn Flake Chicken recipe is included below. (See my blog for the others.)

Also on Sundays, my boys and I will bake S’mores Brownies. Then we’ll wrap them individually so they’re ready to serve as lunch box desserts throughout the week. (That recipe is on my blog, too.)

My go-to fruit is the small individual bags of organic apple slices from Costco or Trader Joe’s. Of course, a fabulous autumn activity is apple picking. If you have picked them fresh, make sure to cut them up in the morning so they don’t turn brown before lunch. If stored properly, freshly picked apples will last up to two months in the refrigerator.

Freeze a box of yogurt squeezers (my favorite is Stoneyfield Organic Strawberry), and include one in the lunch box. By the time lunch rolls around, the yogurt will be defrosted but still cold. And it will keep the other lunch items cold, too.

You can find dozens of quick and easy kid-friendly recipes on my blog at www.mommachef.com.

Momma Chef’s Cornflake Coated Chicken (makes 6 servings)

6 boneless chicken breasts

4 cups Corn Flakes

2 large eggs

2 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together eggs and water. Set aside.

In a large Ziploc bag, add the Corn Flakes and salt. Then crush the Corn Flakes.

Dip each chicken breast in the egg/water mixture and put them in the Ziploc bag. Shake to coat all sides of the chicken.

Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes.

About Momma Chef: Karen Nochimowski, the mom behind MommaChef.com, has loved cooking for as long as she can remember. After friends and family begged to be let in on her culinary secrets, she decided to create a blog featuring the easy, quick recipes that everyone loved. The goal of Momma Chef blog is to help busy moms serve fabulous meals with little effort and few ingredients to their families.

About the author

I am a mother of three active boys (ages 12, 8 and 5). Although I often feel like I’m struggling with some aspect of parenting, my one sanctuary is the kitchen. My children like different foods and constantly request a variety of things for dinner. Over time, I figured out a way to make dishes they all love by developing easy, quick recipes. That led to the creation of my blog, Momma Chef, for parents like me. My recipes are simple and delicious, using no more than six ingredients and under six minutes of prep time. It will look like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen with help from Momma Chef. Find more fabulous Momma Chef recipes at www.mommachef.com.